May 5th may be a Monday, but that doesn't have to stop you from celebrating Cinco de Mayo in style this year!  

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo

Flickr - --Mark--

The History of Cinco de Mayo

The mistake most people make regarding Cinco de Mayo is to think that it is a celebration for Mexico's independence. In fact, Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory (over the French) of the Battle of Puebla which happened on - you guessed it - May 5 in 1862. Crazy to think we're still celebrating a battle won over 150 years ago! Flickr - San Diego City College So, why do we still celebrate it? That fact remains to be seen because, in most of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo celebrations aren't typical. Here in America (especially California) we don't need a good reason for a party though, so celebrate on!

Throw A Traditional Party

Decorations

Like this colorful street in Mexico, a great way to get your Cinco de Mayo celebration off the ground is with some authentic (or close enough) flags. You can find them at local party supply stores or you can make your own. This is a great activity to get your children in on by having them cut out snowflake-like designs on rectangular pieces of paper. Flickr - Alan

Drinks & Food

Really, what is a good party with out the food? This is a great time to get a little fancy by trying out new recipes or, if you aren't a fan of cooking, to cater through your favorite Mexican restaurant. Suggested traditional Mexican foods and drinks for Cinco de Mayo are:

• Tamales
• Chiles Rellenos
• Mole Sauce
• Authentic Mexican tortillas
• Home made chips
• Home made Pico de gallo
• Margaritas
• Horchata

Find more recipes here. Flickr - Debora is Lola

Activities & Gifts

When throwing a great party, having games planned in advance (even if you don't end up playing them) can make the difference between a boring party and something your friends will be talking about for the next six months. Try your local party supply store or check out Amazon for some great gift ideas that you can send your guests home with to remember your memorable and stylish Cinco de Mayo celebration. Flickr - Darla Dietz Toss up a piñata - the kids (and let's be honest, the adults too) will love it! Flickr-giveawayboy Get the family together and visit a traditional Mexican celebration. Check your local news website for celebrations near you. Flickr - Bisayan lady

 The Sounds of Cinco de Mayo

Last, but definitely not least, the music of the event must be traditional. For some of you who like to spare no expense, that means hiring your very own mariachi band! For the rest of us, that means picking the right Pandora station to set the mood. Either way, you better be blaring the rhythmic guitar and blaring trumpet sound that mariachi bands are best known for! Flickr - oklanica

Do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? If so, let us know in the comments below what you do to make it special!

  Source: WikiHow, About.com, Cover Photo: Flickr - --Mark--

The food has to be good, and the atmosphere is definitely important, but sometimes a killer view can make or break your eating experience. We're going to take a look at some cool rooftop restaurants in Central and Southern California that have the most incredible views imaginable! If you're planning a date night these are definitely the places to consider taking that special someone.

Only The Best Rooftop Restaurants

 San Francisco

El Techo de Linda - Fabulous rooftop dining that boasts "Latin American Street Food". A must for amazing food with an fabulous view! From El Tech website The Cheesecake Factory [off of Union Square] - Sure, there are Cheesecake Factory restaurants all over California, but what makes this one special you may ask? Well the view of course! Enjoy Cheesecake Factory favorites with an incredible rooftop view. From Mike In Singapore Blog Top of the Mark - Though on the more expensive side, the view alone may be worth it! The Top of the Mark is a fantastic place to enjoy good food and a stunning rooftop view that will take your breath away. From Lifesabento.blogspot via GlobalTravel.com Jones - New. Hip. Manhattan-esque. It's the place to be in San Francisco. Flickr- Mark H. Anbinder

Los Angeles

High Lounge at Hotel Erwin - Located in Venice Beach, this rooftop restaurant and lounge has a stunning view that cannot be found anywhere else in Venice. From highvenice.co Perch - As their website boasts, Perch is a "French inspired rooftop bistro". There's no better place to find a birds-eye-view than resting in this perch! Take flight and enjoy this incredible view ;) From Perch LA The Roof - The Roof on Wilshire has it all: breakfast, brunch, lunch, a sunset menu, dinner, and desserts. With poolside service and a view like this, what more could you ask for? From The Roof Elevate Lounge - Elevate is your perfect night-on-the-town experience with room for dancing, modern music, and an atmosphere that cannot be beat. From Elevate

Orange County

Club 33 - Ok, ok, so this is a bit of a stretch, but it is an amazing restaurant with an incredible view...of Disneyland! If you're lucky enough to know the right people, you could find yourself enjoying the view onto New Orleans square in the heart of Disneyland. Flickr-Gregg L Cooper The Deck - Situated in beautiful Laguna Beach, The Deck offers ocean side dining at its finest. From Pacific Edge Hotel Nirvana Grille - Come to eat and relax and peace may follow at the Nirvana Grille with its soothing ocean view and elegant interior. From Laguna Beach Foodies Vivo Bar - Enjoy the sunset with a drink in hand seated in one of these plush lounge chairs at the Vivo Bar located on the fourth flour of the Double Tree by Hilton at the Doheny Beach in Dana Point. They offer extend happy hours during the summer! From Double Tree

San Diego

RoofTop600 at Andaz - Cassy and trendy, the RoofTop 600 is the place to be in San Diego. It may not be easy to get into, but it's worth trying just for the killer view alone! From Chemistry PR Bertrand at Mister A's - They claim to be the "Top restaurant in San Diego" and to have the "best dining with a view". With command of the San Diego skyline and an exceptional staff, they may just be right! From San Diego Essential Guide Cannonball - Live music, sushi, and an oceanfront view to die for. The Cannonball needs to be next on your list for rooftop restaurants. From WaveHouse San Diego JSix - Claiming "Honest Food & Drink" JSix has an honestly amazing view to match. They recently underwent a renovation so make sure to check out their new design with the same classic view. From Puccini Group

We know this isn't a complete list. Did we miss your favorite rooftop spot? Let us know in the comments below!

  Source: Rooftop Restaurants Cover Photo: Flickr-Prayitnomore

Easter is only a few short days away. You may find yourself entertaining guests but not having an idea of something fun to do. We all know that FUN isn't far when you're living in Southern California so take a look at these 5 ways to celebrate Easter with your family and friends.

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs

Enjoy Easter Egg games on the beach. Take a look at this list of fun egg games we've compiled. Flickr-tina negus

• Classic Easter Egg Hunt - maybe not for the beach (unless you want to bury them like hidden treasure) but a good way to keep things fair in larger families is to designate an egg color to each child!
• Spinning Egg Fight - This is a hilarious game for the whole family. Take a knee-high nylon and drop an egg into the bottom then pull the nylon down over each competitors head. Have them face off and "fight" by trying to twist nylons. Whoever pulls the other persons nylon off first wins (or whoever's egg doesn't break).
• Egg Toss - Partners pair off and face each other taking a step back after each completed throw. The pair that is furthers apart wins!
• Egg on a Spoon Race - Place eggs on spoons and run a relay without dropping the egg!

From PInterest

The Amazing [Easter] Race

Go to the park and create "The Amazing Race" for your family. With a little careful planning you can involve everyone from children to grandparents in different legs of this race. Checkout Pinterest from some great ideas!

Brunch, anyone?

Do a "Brunch from around the world". It's easy to get sucked into the usual meals during any holiday and Easter is no exception. Try something new this year with an around the world brunch. Assign each relative a country and a specific dish and see what they come up with. Ask them to explain part of the history of their dish if they can find it. Flickr- last-s*it

Staycation...Kind Of

Take a Mini-Vacation or Day Trip to somewhere you haven't been (or been to in a while). Sunday afternoon is a great time to do a little exploring. Try taking a hike or visiting a museum (make sure and check the hours of operation) or even go out to dinner in another town near by. Sometimes a little time away can be as refreshing as a whole week of vacation.

Camping in Comfort

Sometimes, leaving the comforts of home to experience the great outdoors is just too much of a hassle - especially when you are past your Spring Break days off of school.  To liven up a short weekend with a little bit of outdoor fun, we recommend a back yard camping party. Roast marshmallows, put up a tent (or sleep out under the starts), and enjoy all the comforts of home.

The beauty in this activity is that you experience all the fun of camping without the fuss of packing!

Flickr-Karl-Petter Åkesson These activities are fun and can give you ideas that may spark your creativity, but really it's not so much about the activities as it is about the people you share them with. Take some time this Easter to enjoy being with your family and friends. A great way to spark some conversation is to go around the table at dinner and ask for one favorite memory from each family member. This can be sentimental as well as hilarious depending on what type of memories are shared. Either way, we wish you a happy Easter filled with lots of fun and beautiful California sunshine!  Cover photo by Bahman Farzad

After a long day at the beach, nothing hits the spot like fish tacos with a splash of lime and cilantro. Thinking ahead to summer, we've decided to search out the best fish taco places we can find in Southern California. We recommend grabbing a group of friends and picking a location that's near you to enjoy some fantastic food in good company.

Best Fish Tacos this Side of the Border

Andria’s Seafood Restaurant & Market

Located up in Oxnard, Ca Andria's is a local staple for seafood of all kinds including some of the best fish tacos! The location is small and nestled next to the Ventura harbor but don't be fooled by the limited space. Andria's is usually packed from opening until closing.

Best Fish Taco In Ensenada

If you're anywhere near Hollywood we have the perfect place for you and the name says it all, "Best Fish Taco In Ensenada."  They boast tacos that are "The closest thing to standing on a beach in Baja" (website). Why travel all the way to Mexcio when you could have a great fish taco here? Rated with 4 starts on Yelp this is definitely the place to go!

Senor Fish

The crazy and eclectic Senor Fish is a great option for tasty fish tacos. The original restaurant has been around since 1988 and is still going strong today in four different locations in Southern California. A menu under $10 makes this a great first date location! [caption id="attachment_981" align="aligncenter" width="922"] From herviewfromhome[/caption]

Ricky's Fish Tacos

Rated with 4.5 stars on Yelp, Ricky's Fish Tacos located in East Hollywood is said to have "the best fish tacos" by many of its patrons. With great prices (all under $10) you cannot go wrong by checking out this hole-in-the-wall.

Bear Flag Fish Company

If you ask the press, this is THE place to go in Newport Beach if you are searching out that perfect fish taco. According to Food Beast, Bear Flag Fish Company has the, "Freshest fish taco's in Orange County." I don't know about you, but that's a great recommendation! [caption id="attachment_982" align="aligncenter" width="922"] Flickr-eatlivetravelwrite[/caption]

Long Beach Fish Grill

Another highly rated restaurant on Yelp (4.5 starts) the Long Beach Fish Grill is a great location to settle down after riding the waves to drink a beer and enjoy some tasty fish tacos.

Harbor Fish & Chips

Heading down to San Diego? Take a detour to Harbor Fish & Chips located in Oceanside Harbor and rated with 4 stars from Yelp! This little restaurant has had it's share of media coverage for its authentic fish and chips as well as its fish tacos. The view is spectacular and the food is great, what more could you want? [caption id="attachment_983" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Flickr-Carolyn McCaffrey[/caption]

The Fish Market

With locations ranging from Palo Alto to San Diego, The Fish Market is a great place to find seafood of all kinds including the coveted fish tacos! It may not be an 'off the beaten track' type of restaurant, but the additional selections will keep your taste buds entertained time and time again. [caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="922"] Flickr-Ian Lee[/caption]

Did we miss your favorite fish taco spot? Let us know in the comments below!

Cover photo from Lieslicious

This list of 25 facts about California will blow you away! We've compiled this list of facts about the beautiful state of California so you can wow your friends or entertain anyone at your next party. Use this list to quiz your friends or to expand your own knowledge.

25 Facts About California

1. California is one of the largest states in the country and is the most populated state in the US. 2. California raises more turkeys than any other state. 3. More avocados are grown in the Fallbrook, located in northern San Diego, than any other county in the US. Fallbrook is also known as the "Avocado Capital of the World". Flickr - olle svensson 4. The element Californium was actually named after California! 5. The Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo is the richest 2-day rodeo in the United States with a purse topping over $200,000! 6. The California state Railroad Museum in Sacramento is the largest museum of its kind in North America. 7. There are 58 counties in California. 8. San Bernardino County, about three million acres in size, is the largest county in the country. 9. The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles is the largest outdoor amphitheater in the world. 10. Before Beverly Hills became home to the rich and famous, it once boasted fields of Lima Beans. Pinterest - Susana Simon 11. The World Meteorological Organization has deemed California's Death Valley the world's hottest place in a recent media release. 12. San Francisco Bay is the largest land-locked harbor in the world. 13. Sequoia National Park is host to the largest living tree with a circumference of 102 feet. Now that is a tree! Flickr - synopsis1 14. One out of every eight people living in the United States is a California Resident. 15. Out of all of the 50 states in the U.S., California has the largest economy. 16. California's state motto is: "Eureka!" meaning, "I have found it!" and was adopted in 1849. It's also the name of a town in Northern California. 17. Every year California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine. Flickr - Freddy Olsson

18. The state tree of California is the redwood. 19. Gold was first discovered by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California on January 24, 1848. 20. California is the birthplace of the skateboard which was created as an alternative for surfing. 21. Sacramento is California's state capitol. 22. Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 states. 23. California's beloved band, The Beach Boys, are originally from Hawthorne, California and after 50 years of being together, are Americas first pop-band to reach that milestone!

The Beach Boys from Pinterest

24. California is host to the highest number of residents who were born in other countries. 25. California is known as the Golden State (this is due to the discovery of gold, but we like to think it has something to do with the golden California sunshine).

Flickr - Damian Gadal Source: California Fast Facts Cover Photo: Flickr - Raul Gomez